# Import duty from USA to UK??



## Blueorb (Mar 2, 2006)

Hi, can anyone help me out with this question?

I am sick to death of paying extortionate prices when buying cigars within the UK. The average price for a single (Petit Corona Size) cigar is aprox £6-00This is the equivelent of $11-00 per smoke. Now we may be able to buy Cubans, be we are ripped off! We pay well over the odds, making cigar smoking a rich man's game. (Britain must be one of the most expensive places in the world, you don't even want to know how much fuel costs!)

So after viewing cigar bundles and seconds for sale at various (U.S) internet stores, I can't believe my eyes at how cheap these things are.

So, If I was to import these cigars into the UK, how much extra would it cost me in duty? I have looked at the U.K customs and excise page but things are not clear. It states that cigars are taxed at 26%. Now does this mean I pay 26% of the total value of my purchase to the government or what? Are there other unseen taxes?

So my question is, has anyone from the UK imported cigar bundles from the United States and was there much duty to pay? Also was the process straight foward.

Many thanks for your time in answering my question.


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## Fireman_UK (Mar 14, 2006)

I buy pretty much all of my cigars from the US. I've sent you a PM with some online vendors you may wish to try.


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## Lumpold (Apr 28, 2005)

The biggest thing to remember as a UK buyer of cigars is that if the package originates in the EU you shouldn't have to pay import tax on the product, as you will have paid local VAT on the item in the country it's shipped from.


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## Baric (Jun 14, 2006)

Lumpy's very correct with his EU statement-customs are far more lenient on packages from the EU. in the past ive had to pay up to £30 import on some of my packages from the US. it is flat rate it appears, not depending on no of cigars [so long as it is sensible and obviously for your own consumption]. Two things to remember-

1) You only get charged if they know what is in the package, so keep it small and theyre less likely to check
2) If they do open your package theyre likely to add £30 to the price, so in that repsect its best to buy lots of cigars at once. you have to sum the two up and come to a conclusion.


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## Zoomschwortz (Jul 14, 2006)

Baric said:


> Lumpy's very correct with his EU statement-customs are far more lenient on packages from the EU. in the past ive had to pay up to £30 import on some of my packages from the US. it is flat rate it appears, not depending on no of cigars [so long as it is sensible and obviously for your own consumption]. Two things to remember-
> 
> 1) You only get charged if they know what is in the package, so keep it small and theyre less likely to check
> 2) If they do open your package theyre likely to add £30 to the price, so in that repsect its best to buy lots of cigars at once. you have to sum the two up and come to a conclusion.


If someone sent them to you as a gift (bomb) would there still be a tax?


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## caskwith (Apr 10, 2006)

I usually get someone else to buy them and ship in an unmarked box or with something non-descript on the customs form, same thing applies to bombs, so far i havnt had to pay any import tax.


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## Baric (Jun 14, 2006)

Zoomschwortz: There is less of a chance if the package is marked as gift especially if it is a small package of cigars. however multiple boxes can still be taxes when marked as gift [as i have found out the hard way]. ustoms here dont know their cigars so you could send 10 PAMs and they wouldnt get taxed but 100 quorums and they would, despite the fact that they are the least expensive.


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## Zoomschwortz (Jul 14, 2006)

caskwith said:


> I usually get someone else to buy them and ship in an unmarked box or with something non-descript on the customs form, same thing applies to bombs, so far i havnt had to pay any import tax.


By "non-descript" my guess is, I wouldn't want to write BOMB

I have never shipped anything across the Great Pond before. Do we really need to fill out a customs form to do this?


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## caskwith (Apr 10, 2006)

Zoomschwortz said:


> By "non-descript" my guess is, I wouldn't want to write BOMB
> 
> I have never shipped anything across the Great Pond before. Do we really need to fill out a customs form to do this?


Im afraid you do.

i normally write something like novelty t-shirt, that could sound like some random ebay item, so far never had a problem.

if you ever want to practice sending international mail id be happy to be your guinea pig 

just kidding, lol


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## Zoomschwortz (Jul 14, 2006)

Baric said:


> Zoomschwortz: There is less of a chance if the package is marked as gift especially if it is a small package of cigars. however multiple boxes can still be taxes when marked as gift [as i have found out the hard way]. ustoms here dont know their cigars so you could send 10 PAMs and they wouldnt get taxed but 100 quorums and they would, despite the fact that they are the least expensive.


By marking the "package as gift" would this be on the package itself or on the Customs form Caskwith mentioned?


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## 68TriShield (May 15, 2006)

Zoomschwortz said:


> By "non-descript" my guess is, I wouldn't want to write BOMB
> 
> I have never shipped anything across the Great Pond before. Do we really need to fill out a customs form to do this?


Yes. My last ship was t-shirts and a flag(wink wink)


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## Baric (Jun 14, 2006)

customs form, usually there is a few boxes like merchandise, gift, other you can tick and a description ["novelty t shirt"] you can add.


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## caskwith (Apr 10, 2006)

68TriShield said:


> Yes. My last ship was t-shirts and a flag(wink wink)


i hope that is not related to the mug and flag package?!?!


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## caskwith (Apr 10, 2006)

here is a pic of a US customs form, its pretty obvious how you fill it out although the lovely ladies at the post office will help you, just make sure you have got your story straight about whats in it, ie t-shirt.


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## Zoomschwortz (Jul 14, 2006)

caskwith said:


> here is a pic of a US customs form, its pretty obvious how you fill it out although the lovely ladies at the post office will help you, just make sure you have got your story straight about whats in it, ie t-shirt.


Thank you very much. The picture says it all.


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## Baric (Jun 14, 2006)

caskwith said:


> here is a pic of a US customs form, its pretty obvious how you fill it out although the lovely ladies at the post office will help you, just make sure you have got your story straight about whats in it, ie t-shirt.


Yeah they really dont like it when youre not concentrating and say casually, off hand "oh its just a bomb for a friend!"


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## caskwith (Apr 10, 2006)

Baric said:


> Yeah they really dont like it when youre not concentrating and say casually, off hand "oh its just a bomb for a friend!"


the girls at my local PO know exactly whats in the boxes but dont mind, the PO is right next my shop and we all get on really well, they enjoy coming up with interesting things to write on the forms, lol

it was a particularly fine young girl (nice eyes) who suggested scented candles :r

btw when i said eyes i meant breasts


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## Baric (Jun 14, 2006)

caskwith said:


> the girls at my local PO know exactly whats in the boxes but dont mind, the PO is right next my shop and we all get on really well, they enjoy coming up with interesting things to write on the forms, lol
> 
> it was a particularly fine young girl (nice eyes) who suggested scented candles :r
> 
> btw when i said eyes i meant breasts


:r :r


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## Lumpold (Apr 28, 2005)

OK... time for me to wade in.... according to Customs and Excise and the Royal Mail... there is a magic limit to the amount you can spend on 'merchandise' which is £20 value before inspection/tax, and on a 'gift' it's £40.

And Chris, the correct term is 'personality', not eyes.


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## caskwith (Apr 10, 2006)

Lumpold said:


> OK... time for me to wade in.... according to Customs and Excise and the Royal Mail... there is a magic limit to the amount you can spend on 'merchandise' which is £20 value before inspection/tax, and on a 'gift' it's £40.
> 
> And Chris, the correct term is 'personality', not eyes.


last time i looked girls have 2 breasts, therfore she had a great personality then she would have to be either Schizophrenic (ie great personalities) or she could only have one breast. i dont really know which i would prefer  

sorry to be pedantic.


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## Lumpold (Apr 28, 2005)

Sorry, barspeak... 'look at her, lovely personality...' means 'nice rack on that one' in words I can't get fired for.


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## croatan (Mar 23, 2005)

caskwith said:


> sorry to be pedantic.


Never apologize for pedantry!

Also, Lumpy: does that mean if you declare the value for less than those amounts, there will be no duty?


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## Lumpold (Apr 28, 2005)

There shouldn't be duty, unless they have reason to believe you lied on the customs form.

And I know that 'personality' is singular and 'boobies' is plural, but you can oogle a girl over a bar and know if she has nice eyes, but you won't know about her personality. Therefore we say personality because you could ACTUALLY mean she has nice eyes.


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## caskwith (Apr 10, 2006)

croatan said:


> Never apologize for pedantry!
> 
> Also, Lumpy: does that mean if you declare the value for less than those amounts, there will be no duty?


i would assume so.

i think the best way to resolve this is for you americans to send lots of packages to us brits and see what happens.


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## Lumpold (Apr 28, 2005)

caskwith said:


> i think the best way to resolve this is for you americans to send lots of packages to us brits and see what happens.











I love it when a plan comes together!


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## caskwith (Apr 10, 2006)

Lumpold said:


> I love it when a plan comes together!












"I aint gettin on no plane fool!"


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## Lumpold (Apr 28, 2005)

I wouldn't send them surface unless VERY well humidified in the package.


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## caskwith (Apr 10, 2006)

"I pity the fool who sends parcels by surface mail!"


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## Ron1YY (Mar 3, 2005)

caskwith said:


> i would assume so.
> 
> i think the best way to resolve this is for you americans to send lots of packages to us brits and see what happens.


Ok, but, no complaining when it happens :gn !!!!

Ron


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## drawfour (Aug 22, 2006)

caskwith said:


> the girls at my local PO know exactly whats in the boxes but dont mind, the PO is right next my shop and we all get on really well, they enjoy coming up with interesting things to write on the forms, lol
> 
> it was a particularly fine young girl (nice eyes) who suggested scented candles :r
> 
> btw when i said eyes i meant breasts


:r When you looked into her eyes, did they look back? :dr


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## raisin (Dec 3, 2005)

Lumpold said:


> OK... time for me to wade in.... according to Customs and Excise and the Royal Mail... there is a magic limit to the amount you can spend on 'merchandise' which is £20 value before inspection/tax, and on a 'gift' it's £40.
> 
> And Chris, the correct term is 'personality', not eyes.


Just to let you know about the cultural slang difference's between Britain and the States, over here when you say a girl has a nice personalty, it usually refers to a general lack of attractiveness. (yes, it's used on guys too!)


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## Lumpold (Apr 28, 2005)

O, it means that over here, too. It's just that usually these girls don't need, or have, a personality, if ya know what I mean.


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